


A Little Story About Love

by foreverwritingaround



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-12-07
Updated: 2013-03-30
Packaged: 2017-11-20 12:36:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/585494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foreverwritingaround/pseuds/foreverwritingaround
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>  Answering that door could have been one of the worst things she could ever have done in her entire life.</p><p>                “Hello little one, long time no see,” a familiar and dreaded voice murmured above her head, “look what the cat just let out of the bag.”</p><p>                “G-Gamzee?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Her name is Nepeta Leijon, and she has just been woken up by a horrible nightmare. Fire, all over a beautiful city, a terrible demon with a sword causing destruction and mayhem, and the deaths of all of her friends. She searches frantically over the covers until her fingers meet the warm skin of the man beside you. There he sleeps untroubled by her sudden awakening, Equius Zahhak.

                She runs her fingers through her sleep- matted hair and looks at him. It’s been hot these past couple of months in the desert, and he normally can’t sleep well in the heat. Tonight, however, he sleeps like a baby, hardly tossing and turning at all. He is pressed against the wall like he normally does when he’s sleeping, and it makes her smile. He always looks so peaceful, almost helpless while sleeping.

Nepeta climbs out of bed and stretches, padding silently over to the door to avoid waking up her boys. The tabby on their dresser twitches an ear in his sleep, perhaps dreaming about a hunt, and Equius rolls over, muttering under his breath. She again smiles. Her life might not be the very best, but she loves what she has. She has a home, and someone who loves her.

                As she walks towards the kitchen in the dim dawn light she thinks about making Equius a surprise milkshake. He loves his milkshakes. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, he could care less. It’s still way too early for him to wake up though, and he hasn’t been sleeping well. She opens up the fridge and pulling out the bacon he’d bought the other day, grabbing a carton of eggs and then flour out of the pantry.

                ‘I’m going to make Equius eggs and bacon and homemade biscuits,’ she thinks to herself as she brings down a bowl to begin making dough for her biscuits, ‘and then a protein milkshake before he leaves for work so he can stay strong.’

                Nepeta goes outside and sits on her porch swing. Equius built it for her and she painted it olive and indigo colors, she still doesn’t know why these colors strike her to be so beautiful together. She just knows that it’s always nice to sit out here and watch the sunrise. As she kneads the dough on the table, her mind lapses into thoughts about herself. At twenty years old, she’s a small 5’ 2”, and is very thin. Her dark complexion and springy black curls are from a mixture of black and some other race. She keeps her hair short because of how thick and unmanageable it can be at times. She loves the color green, and also adores cats, hence the fact that she and Equius have a one as a pet. She also loves Equius to death, pampering him, papping and shooshing whenever he gets angry at work or around town. She once loved someone else, but it was always unrequited and although she sometimes dreams of a couple similar to them, she doesn’t really understand how it works. The feelings are different, almost alien. In any case she couldn’t be happier than she is now.

                With the dough set to rise she walks back into the peaceful house. The cat meets her at the door, and she scoops him up and pads quietly back towards the bedroom. She takes a peek from the cracked door and sees him still sleeping. Seeing that it’s only 5:30 in the morning still she settles down on the floor beside the bed, petting her cat thoughtfully. After a half hour of sitting like that she hears a sound above her head. Peaking up over the edge of the bed brings her nose to nose with one half awake Equius.

                “I was about to check and see what was making G purr so loud,” he murmured, “I should have figured it was you petting him.”

                “He only purrs this loud when I’m petting him or if you’re feeding him, so what did you expect?”

                “I don’t know really. Maybe that he suddenly had a girlfriend or something.”

                “Like that would actually ever happen, G hates other cats!”

                “That’s the joke dear, steeped in ironies unknown,” he remarked as he threw the covers off and rolled out of bed, “I need to take a shower, I think I sweat up a storm in my sleep.”

                “Gross Equius, did you soak up the sheets again? I’ll have to add laundry to my list of things to do then.”

                “I’m sorry Nepeta, I’ll do the wash when I get home from work I promise,” he called from the bathroom, “and then I’ll cook us up some steak or something.”

                “Equius Zahhak is that a hint that I haven’t been feeding you enough meat lately?”

                “We all know strong men love their steak.”

                Chuckling as she walks into the kitchen to put the biscuits in the oven and start the bacon, she thinks about how these sort of teasing arguments were a norm in their lives. It was one of the things that keep them happy. That and the fact that they each have their special role in their relationship, an unspoken truce they have had for as long as they can remember. She keeps him calm and relaxed, and he insures her protection.

                Hearing the sound of the shower turning on reminds her not to use the sink for a while, which means not getting her hands dirty with the rest of the biscuits. He likes his showers strong, and with the usage of another faucet the stream would become weak.

                She was just about to put the biscuits in the oven when she heard a knock at the door.

                ‘A visitor at this hour?’ she thinks, ‘it’s hardly seven o’ clock.’

                Answering that door could have been one of the worst things she could ever have done in her entire life.

                “Hello little one, long time no see,” a familiar and dreaded voice murmured above her head, “look what the cat just let out of the bag.”

                “G-Gamzee?”


	2. Chapter 2

“G-Gamzee? What are you doing here?” She frightfully inquires, “What do you want from us??”

“Just a little…information dear, about a very good friend of ours,” he purrs in response.

“Information about who Gamzee? Please just say it.”

Gamzee pushes her back into the house and shuts the door. He grabs her by the wrist and throws her up against the wall.

“DON’T PLAY STUPID NEPETA WHERE IS HE?” He shouts into her face, “I KNOW YOU KNOW WHERE HE IS SO DON’T LIE TO ME!”

“Oh no, Gamzee, you don’t mean…Gamzee please I don’t know where he is I haven’t seen him since high school and since…since you were put in prison! Let go of me Gamzee!”

By now he’s got her by both wrists and is directly in her face, “Nepeta I will only give you one more chance, where is he? If you tell me now I won’t have to hurt you again. We really, really don’t want that now do we? What would the girls say if it happened again Nepeta? How would it make Equius-ah where ever is the good man? I have a bit of a score to settle with him.”

He unfolds his lanky 6 foot 6 body and stretches himself, looking around. He’s the same old Gamzee Makara she knew all those years ago. The same Gamzee Makara that…sometimes she still has nightmares. Looking at him now, pinned against the cushions of her couch with him standing above her, seeing how at ease he looks in her house makes her blood boil. He sweeps the room with his mellow gaze until it comes to rest on the bathroom door.

“In the shower, eh? Isn’t that nice. It’ll be a, heh heh, clean fight then.”

“What are you planning on doing Makara?” She almost snarls from below him, “You came here to ask about a man I haven’t seen in years and pick a fight you already lost once? You have no idea what you’re doing do you?”

He turns around slowly, in that unnerving way of his, “Oh well, well. My little one has gotten some bark since I last saw her. How lovely, I can’t wait to see how this translates later. Trust me; I think Zahhak’s the one that lost the fight all those years ago. You were all too blinded by the lies to prove that that is the truth.” 

“Gamzee how could you possibly-” she hears the sound of the water turn off in the shower. What will he do when he sees this situation yet again?

“Come along little one,” he mutters as he drags her up from the couch, “wouldn’t want to surprise him now would we? We know how much he hates surprises.”

He starts to drag her swiftly towards the back of the house, looking at closed doors nervously. He spies the half cracked open door to their bedroom and shoves her through the door. Last time this scenario happened Equius came to the rescue. Nepeta prays that will be the case again this time, because this man truly scared her.

 That last time, when they had all been in high school. She had been the new girl, a freshman making friends with everybody she could. From her older friend Aradia she had met most of the boys. Sollux was a junior that had once been her long-time boyfriend and a part of the computer club, Equius was a shy body builder and a junior on the wresting team that liked physics, Tavros had been the sophomore theatre geek with a passion for musicals and fantasy, Eridan was the senior that always looked for fresh meat to show off and always had short flings with girls but never any serious relationships.

Karkat was the junior that didn’t do too much, and didn’t have many friends because of his surly attitude. She learned that once you got past that prickly exterior he was a very kind person, and she swiftly fell for him. The one problem was that he had a crush on one of the prettiest junior girls in school. Terezi was an all-around go getter that was caption of the debate club. She was best friends with another gorgeous junior girl named Vriska that had all the boys wrapped around her fingers. While Vriska was all long dark hair and tall black boots, Terezi was a workaholic, smart, with a short pixie haircut; she loved plaid button downs, and carried a cane everywhere, always wore sandals, and had a messenger bag with an old fashioned typewriter and papers on everything.

 A fashionista sophomore named Kanaya was the third girl to always be seen in that trio of babes. She had a huge purse where she kept her supplies for any fashion emergency that might occur during the average school day, and had a way with adding colors to black in the most amazing ways. She could also often be seen hanging out with Rose on sunny days under a tree, knitting and making costumes for the latest of Tavros’s musical masterpieces.

John and Jade were sophomore twins that did everything together. Dave was a junior and Jade’s boyfriend. When Jade wasn’t with Tavros practicing her lines in a musical or being with John in Comedy Sportz and the movie club she was with Dave in the greenhouse, growing pumpkins and other flora and raising a vast variety of frogs and toads in the school pond. Nepeta always fluttered from group to group, feeling for all the world like the luckiest freshman to have made all these friends.

John and Jane’s big sister Jane was also on the debate team and in a senior in theatre. Rose’s older sister Roxy ran a ‘virgin bar’ club that Jane baked loads of cookies and cakes for. Because Nepeta had a sweet tooth she loved going to their club, and because they thought she was adorable they usually gave her treats for free. Dave’s big brother and his boyfriend Jake ran a host club at the school, entertaining the ladies (and gents) after school. She would always go there with Equius to give him a confidence boost because he was always nervous around the girls and he had been drug into it for his ‘rugged good looks’ as Jake would always say.

Feferi was the head of the student council of course, and in the shadow of most any teacher almost constantly. Either wearing the cheer outfit for their high school, a lovely light green, she was wearing the school uniform, "the correct way" she called it, with no modifications to the original outfit. She was a bubbly sort, quick to make friends between her school obligations, Sollux, her current other half (Solly) and cheer practice. With a quick stride and long hair in simple braids swinging as she moved, it was clear who had the leadership potential in the school. When lunch finally rolled around after the first half of the day, Feferi was usually the first at the table that occupied Aradia, Vriska, Sollux, of course, and a gaggle of other friends. No matter how they were all in the same school since forever, she thought it amazing that most of them had remained intact in their little circle. A group of all sorts, and if she was ever going to be a political major, she had to learn how to accept others for what they were. While they might not have thought too much about college or anything after their next class, Fef was another story. She planned everything to a T; from what she wore, to if she used a pen or a pencil. To her, every decision must be made correctly, and with purpose.

And so for the most part Nepeta was friends with everybody. Calliope always hung out with Roxy at the virgin bar club and her twin brother Caliborn sulked around the shadows, looking for other freshman to pick on whenever he wasn’t picking on Callie and her friends in the art club. The principal, Mr. Hussie, would often make rounds of the school during lunch time to talk to the students and view progress of clubs and classes. He often had Caliborn in his office for one thing or another, whether it was defacing school property with crappy graffiti or for pranking one of the other students. His sister always had a smile on her face even when Nepeta knew he’d been mean to her that day. High school for Nepeta Leijon was everything she had always dreamed it would be.

Until the day she met Karkat’s best friend.

“Hey Karkitty,” Nepeta said as she pounced onto his back, “Why are you all alone over here?”

“Hey Nep, I’m over here because I have a headache and I don’t want Feferi yelling at me because I don’t have a tie again today.”

“Oh Karkat you never wear a tie. I’m amazed she hasn’t just given you one yet!” She replies, sliding off his back and into a sitting position next to him on the step he was sitting on.

“And I’m amazed she hasn’t ripped your throat out for the hat Nepeta, you always wear it,” he shot back while grabbing up the hat in question, “maybe I should try wearing it sometime, eh Nep? What do you think? How do I look?” He asked as he settled her cat hat onto the top of his head and struck an ironic pose, “do I look as good as a model?”

Laughingly she said, “Karkat you look like a huge dork give it back please I have hat hair! Hey no don’t tease me for being short! Karkat!”

He stood up and held the hat up away from her reach, only teasing a little. After she stopped and pouted he put the hat back on her head and sat back down.

“Ha ha Nepeta that was funny, you should’ve seen your face. It was classic.”

“Karkat don’t be so mean to me, or I’ll have Equius teach you a lesson!”

“What’s he gonna do? Throw a sweaty towel at me?”

He stood up and stretched then, smoothing the black long-sleeve shirt back down and looking towards the parking lot.

“Finally, he shows up with my Advil.”

Nepeta followed his gaze towards a tall, slender boy walking away from a dark purple car. He was waving a packet in one hand and a bottle of Faygo in the other.

“Gross dude why did you bring me that nasty trash of a drink? Jesus no just give it to me, don’t be a jerk!”

He yanks the bottle out of the other guys hand just as he’s about to hoist it up over his head to play the same game Karkat just was with Nepeta. While they play around she uses the time to examine this guy she’s never seen before. He’s tall over six feet, with unruly hair, and muscular in a wiry way. He wears the school uniform tee shirt under the baseball team letterman’s jacket. He’s got popular yet loner written all over him, and she instantly decides she doesn’t like him.


	3. Chapter 3

Gamzee runs his hand down her cheek, jolting her out of memories and watches with an evil grin as she shudders and shrinks away from him. He gives her a look up and down and says, “You’ve filled out in all these years, you look even better than you did last time I had you like this. I like the changes these years have brought,” he runs a hand down her side to her thigh and grins wider when she shudders again.

“Little kitten I tell you what, you keep that muscle-bound jock out of here and unknowing that I’m here…and I won’t be too unkind to you,” he whispered into her ear, “but don’t think for a moment I won’t kill you both if you so much as utter my name. I want information and I will not leave until I get it.”

He releases Nepeta and sits down on the bed. She has no choice but to walk out of the room with Equius’s clothes in her hands, “Equi, I brought you your clothes,” she says when she opens up the bathroom door. He looks up at her from his shaving and gives her a crooked grin. His dark blue eyes are still rimmed with dark even though he’d gotten enough sleep and he pulls her into a hug when he takes his clothes from her. She breathes in his scent and then pushes him away, “you’re only in a towel sicko get off me! Then come straight to the kitchen because breakfast will be done for you when you’re done in here. Just, um, don’t go in the bedroom I have a, um, surprise for you and you wouldn’t want to ruin it now would you?”

Equius smiled again and then went back to shaving, “of course hon, I’ll be out in a few minutes as soon as I’m done with this.”

She gives him a wavering smile and then walks out of the bathroom. Soon the house is filled with the smells of bacon and biscuits as she cooks his breakfast. She only cooks enough for him because she feels sick to her stomach now with worry. She takes the leftover dough, rolls it up, and sticks it in the freezer for another day, and then fills Equius’s work jug with ice and water. By the time all of these chores are done and the biscuits are done and the bacon fried Equius comes out of the bathroom pulling his hair into a hair tie, “Nep that smells heavenly,” he says and pecks her on the lips.

She sits down and watches as he eats and listens as he talks about the progress of the construction site he’s been overseeing. He’s so proud of how well everything has been going and how there haven’t been any accidents on site in months. Usually she’s too busy tidying up to listen, but today she does, because she isn’t sure if this will be the last time she will ever see him again. She hides her face for a minute as tears threaten to spill down her face. She had something very important to tell him tonight too.

When he finishes breakfast he rinses off his dishes and gives her a long hug. He looks down at her face and gives her another kiss before walking out the front door.

“Love you Nepeta, see you tonight.”

“Love you too,” she whispers and watches him pull out of the driveway, leaving her alone with the one person in the world she is afraid of most.

He must have heard Equius leave because he’s out like a flash. He grabs her by the arm and drags her back to the room and then tossed her against the bed.

“Okay little kitten. I want the information I came for and I want it now.”

He crossed his arms and stares down at her angrily, he had waited long enough for this and he wasn’t going to leave until he got what he wanted. He felt a grin spread across his face as he remembered the time he had her like this in high school. If it hadn’t been for Zahhak she would probably be his and he never would’ve ended up in jail. She was staring at him just like last time, just this time there was more fear in her eyes and less surprise. His grin widened as the memory of before came to the front of his mind.

It was a Friday evening, the evening he decided to do his long thought out plan. Ever since that first day, the day he’d seen her, he knew he’d had to have her. He also knew that there was another guy after her and that she was in love with somebody. Somebody she would never be allowed to have as long as he was there. Nobody was allowed near him, not even the girl he liked. He slowly stalked her through the halls of the school. She was all alone, and had been for some time now; he’d made sure everybody was gone. She walked into the girls’ restroom just as his cell vibrated. He opened it to see what it was, and saw that it was a text from the man himself.

                Text from: Karkat

Dude where the hell are you? I hope you’re not seriously going to go ‘make out’ with some chick like you said you were, we were going to catch a movie you douche!

He scowls at his cell phone and hits reply:

                                I’ll do what I want you prick she deserves what shes gonna get

He hits send and almost immediately it vibrates again. He sighs angrily and checks it again.

                Text from: Karkat

Whoa wait a minute what is that supposed to mean? You said you were going to go to the movies with me you sack of crap! I am coming to find you right now!

He sighs even more angrily and punches out the response

You won’t do that if you know whats good for this chick. If you come near us shes dead   got it?!

He sends that off and grinds the power button down until the phone shuts off. He crams it back into his pocket and abandons guile for a direct strategy. He rushes the restroom door just as she walks out and grabs her by the upper arm, covering her mouth with his other hand. She lets out a smothered yelp and looks up at him with scared wild eyes. He feels the grin spreading across his face at the look of fear, mixed with surprise, in her eyes. This, he knows, is going to be good.

He drags her down several hallways until he makes it to the PE storage room. There is plenty of space and he has a lot of time, plus, the doors lock both ways. Keeping the hand over her mouth he pushes her against the wall and fishes for the key he stole for his coach just that day. He unlocks the door and throws her inside, and then locks the door behind him. When he turns he finds her looking ready to scream.

“Save it Nepeta, nobody is going to help you, and I have a knife. I will knife you if I have to, but I wouldn’t want to do that. Yet.”

“What are you going to do to me Gamzee? What did I ever do to you to make you do this, to practically – no what are you – get away from me!”

He grabs her by the hair and walks her over to a table. By now he can feel her tears falling against the hand he has around her neck. He throws her against the table and smirks at her cry of pain as she falls to the ground. He pulls her up again and then tosses her into a corner. She weighs so little this abuse is too easy. He walks over to the rack where his favorite baseball bat is kept and pulls it out. He will relish this moment for a while. Taking out the trash while nobody is around, protecting his friend from the trash of the world. When he’s done here, he thinks, he might go over to Terezi’s place to finish up taking out all the trash that Karkat doesn’t need around him.

He pokes the girl with the tip of the bat and grins wider yet, “maybe if you beg me I won’t kill you today Nepeta, but somebody has to keep the trash away from Karkat.”

Her eyes widen at the sound of his name, “that’s what this is all about? This is about me being friends with Karkat? Why should that matter?”

She starts to stand and he cracks her in the ribs with the bat. He can hear the air being forced out of her lungs as she collapses again, tears falling from her eyes again. He drops the bat and grabs her up again, slapping her full in the face, “did I motherfucking say you could speak?! Did I ask for your opinion in the matter?! You and that stupid whore Terezi are trying to steal him away from me, and I won’t. Allow. It!”

With each of those last three words he dealt her a blow. She collapsed again and this time didn’t try to get back up again. He fingers the buttons of her uniform top and then lets out a sigh. Why would he use such filthy trash like that? He won’t, because he won’t tarnish his esteem like that. Instead, he pulls out the knife he was going to use on her in the first place. He breathes out a sigh as she looks up at him finally.

“If you weren’t an idiot that had to open her big mouth I would have made you this proposition: be mine, forget him, and I wouldn’t have hurt you. But now, I can’t make that offer. It’s far too late.”

She looked at him with wide eyes as he held the knife ready to strike her down. He watches as she closes her eyes tightly waiting and then he hears running footsteps outside the door. He snaps the knife shut and gives her a dirty look, “stay quiet if you know what’s good for you.”

He walks up to the door and looks through the peep hole. Equius Zahhak stands outside the door looking at his cell phone through his shades. He’s sweaty, and he looks pissed. Gamzee rolls his eyes because the other boy doesn’t know he’s in here, he probably just stopped to look at his phone. Then he puts it up to his ear.

“Are you totally sure Aradia? The PE storage room? Uh huh, yeah but its dark in there I don’t see any lights, no…yeah I’ll try knocking…”

He knocks on the door and calls out, “Nepeta, are you in there? Nepeta it’s me Equius! If you are in there please open the door.”

Gamzee narrows his eyes and turns slightly to see her looking at the door in shock, fear, and surprise. He holds a finger up to his lips and turns towards the door. Zahhak is still standing there, apparently listening to the girl on the other end of the line, “you are absolutely sure you saw them Aradia? Uh huh, wait…what do you mean he had her by force?! No, you can’t be serious!” He snaps the cell phone shut and pockets it, turning to look at the door in full. He tries the handle once before banging on it again, “Nepeta please if you’re in there answer me,” desperation coloring his voice now.

“Equi…us,” Nepeta murmurs from her corner, “Equius…EQUIUS HELP ME!” She suddenly screams with the last of her energy before fainting.

“Dammit,” Gamzee curses as he races back towards her limp from. He hears one strong thud connect with the door, than another, and then splintering of wood. He grabs her up and stands ready with knife in hand.

Equius’s fist comes through the door and then a foot, then it breaks down and he comes charging in. even with the glasses on Gamzee sees his eyes widen with surprise and terror at the scene before him.

“Makara. Let. Her. Go.”

“I don’t think I will Zahhak, I think I’ll keep her right here.”

“What do you want from her? Why have you done this?!”

“She is trash in this world that needs to be cleaned up Zahhak; can’t you tell that she’s clouded your mind with her filthy lies? Why else would you be so willing to jump into danger for her?”

“Because she’s a tiny girl that’s never hurt a fly Makara! What has she done to you ever to deserve to be beaten like this?”

“She tried to steal my best friend, and so did that little skank Pyrope. When I’m through here I’ll be taking care of her next.”

“You aren’t going anywhere Makara; the police are on their way. Karkat called Terezi, who called the police. Then Aradia saw you bring Nepeta here, she called me and told me to get over here. It’s over Makara, give up! Put her down and leave her alone!”

Gamzee hoisted Nepeta up higher, putting the knife to her throat, “I don’t think to Zahhak. I brought her here for a reason, and I’m going to finish it out whether you like it or not.”

“The hell you will!”

Equius charged at Gamzee. He remembered it all in slow motion; he dropped Nepeta and used Equius’s own momentum against him when he slashed with the knife. He cut Equius across the chest as he punched him in the face. Equius went down on one knee and held his now heavily bleeding chest, “I warned you, I have business to attend to,” and he kicked him over. He reached for Nepeta’s hair again just as he heard more running footsteps.

“Oh god in there!” he heard Aradia’s voice say.

“THIS IS THE POLICE! FREEZE AND PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR!”

Gamzee looked up at the suited men with a huge grin on his face. The last thing he remembered from that day was the boot in the back of the head from Equius.


	4. Chapter 4

His thoughts snapped back to the present when she made a little coughing sound. He turned his head with a snap and gave her an angered look, “are you going to tell me what I want to know? Time is ticking, and my patience is running thin,” he pulled a handgun from his pocket, “and when the patience runs out,” he pointed the gun at her, “bad things start to happen.”

“Gamzee I already told you I don’t know where he is! After he graduated I never saw him again. He moved away with Terezi because they ended up at the same college but that was five years ago! I hardly ever even see any of my old friends, how would I know where Karkat is now?” Nepeta tried to plea, to explain to him in a way that would make him understand, “Equius and I moved here barely two years ago, how did you find us?”

“I’m the one asking the questions, but if you must know it isn’t hard to go to a local library and look at the microfilms. You didn’t move very far, and the nice article about the newly wed CEO son moving to a small town pretty much lead me here,” he snickered darkly, “the search wasn’t very hard, and it didn’t take long at all,” he caressed her cheek, “you looked lovely in that wedding dress.”

Nepeta’s eyes widened in horror when he said that because they hadn’t had any photos in the newspapers of the wedding. She fell back against the wall in an attempt to escape through the door, which remained slightly ajar. She edged toward it slowly, covering it up as her legs buckling in fear. When she was to a point that she could spring at the door using her leg muscles she turned to look at her imprisoner. He was standing above her with his arms crossed, the gun pointed down to the ground. She used her peripheral vision to gauge how far the door was from her position, keeping up her guard to prevent herself from looking obvious. She waited, watching him until he looked away for a split second and she made her lunge towards the door.

Heavy weight slammed into her body, pinning her on her stomach against the floor and the wall and she felt the door slam shut against her head. She let out a stifled yelp and scrambled to get to the door, but the weight only increased on her back and then strong hands grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her back.

“Not a smart move girl,” Gamzee hissed into her ear as he drug her away from the door, “not a smart move at all. Now my patience is almost all used up, and you still haven’t told me what I want to know,” she felt his weight leave her and his hand snaked into her hair, pulling her up by it as she whimpered, “I’m not going to kill you yet, because I really think you’re lying to me about this,” he spun her around as his hand moved from her hair to her throat, he bent down until his mouth was next to her ear again, “I’ll give you this last chance,” the gun poked her in the back, “tell me what I want to know.”

Nepeta let out a chocked sob for herself: being caught in this situation again, for Equius: for more than likely coming home to find her dead, for their family: only yesterday had she found out it was growing. Even if she had known where Karkat was she would never tell him, because he and Terezi had probably started a life together, they were probably married by now. If she had known, had been able to tell him, he would probably hunt them down mercilessly if they ran, he would probably hurt Terezi and any family they might have. She would never put them in harm’s way, and she believed that if she had ended up with Karkat, and Gamzee had come after Terezi like this, she believed that Terezi wouldn’t tell either. Nepeta closed her eyes, tears slipping down her cheeks as she swallowed down any more tears and cleared her throat.

She blinked and voiced her thoughts, “Gamzee, even if I did know where he was I would never tell you. I bet you anything he’s started a family, more than likely with Terezi, and I would never ever put them in danger. You would hurt them like your hurting me now. Even if –” her voice faltered and she had to stop for a moment to breathe, “even if you kill me today I will be dying knowing that I have kept a good friend safe from harm.”

She could feel his body stiffen against her back. She felt the gun move away from where it was pressed into her body and she almost let out a sigh, but she knew it was far from over. She felt the hand at her throat tighten for an instant before releasing her. She felt him step away from her, could hear his heavy breathing. Her first instinct was to bolt, to leave the room as quickly as possible, but the sound of a gun being cocked from where he stood ended the idea swiftly. She slowly turned to face him. He stood with his feet slightly apart, the gun was pointed again at the ground, but she knew it could be brought up swiftly if the need arose. He was breathing deeply still, and he was staring at the ground.

“You really don’t know do you? You pathetic excuse for a human being. I’ve been waiting for six years, _six years_ to finally get out of that fucking prison. The prison that _you put me in_. Do you think it’s funny that I didn’t get to go to college? That my sports scholarships that I worked for _years_ to earn went to some slacker because you put me in prison? Do you think it’s wonderful that my father acts like I don’t exist anymore because of you? Back then all I ever wanted to do was protect my best fucking friend from little tramps like you, and instead of being rewarded for that I get _punished_? I didn’t even hurt you that badly you stupid, weak little slut.”

“Gamzee you broke half my rib cage and caused internal bleeding! I was in a coma for a week, how on earth do you think that’s ‘not even hurting me badly’? I could’ve died just from the wounds you gave me if the police hadn’t arrived. Then you’d still be in prison. For _murder_. Do you think you’d be out now if that happened? No, you would still be in prison rotting away like you should be now.”

“They let me out early for good behavior,” a sickeningly evil smile spread across his face, “they could hardly even believe poor Gamzee Makara had ever hurt anybody. Let alone a little…helpless…freshman…girl,” with each word his head crept up until he was looking her in the eyes. They were terrifying eyes, “a little helpless freshman girl that’s going to finally get what she deserves. A little helpless freshman girl whose husband is going to get what he deserves too. A little helpless freshman girl who –what was that?” His eyes snapped away from hers and he grabbed her wrist and drug her to the window, “look and see what that was,” he forced her to look out the blinds.

She gasped inaudibly. Equius had stepped out of their car; the sound they’d heard was the door slamming shut. She closed her eyes, praying he would just grab whatever it was he needed and leave again, praying that he wouldn’t come in and check on her. Nepeta didn’t doubt for a second that Gamzee would shoot him the moment he walked through the door.

“What was it you stupid whore,” he roughly grabbed her face and made her look at him, “tell me now!”

She swallowed back her fear, “Equius is back for something,” she squeaked.

He felt a grin spread across his face, “perfect, now I can get rid of you _and_ him at the same time. I won’t have to wait around for him to come home or something.”

“No, Gamzee please don’t hurt him. You can do whatever you want to me just please don’t hurt Equius, please,” she begged him as loudly as she could with him holding her face so tightly. He shook his head and chuckled darkly again and let her face go with a slap.

“I’m so very sorry Nepeta,” the way he said her name made her shudder, “but if I left him alive as well I wouldn’t be doing my job now would I? I still fully intend to take out the motherfucking trash in this world.”

The front door slammed shut and they could hear him cursing it in his own way. His steps went first into the kitchen, and then back into the living room.

 “Nepeta? Nepeta I just left my water jug here, it’s really quite hot today so I felt that it was necessary to return home to get it. Nepeta? Are you alright here? Nepeta, where are you?”

His concerned voice followed his footsteps until he was in front of the door. Gamzee roughly put his hand over her still stinging mouth and put the gun to her head.

“Nepeta, are you in here?” Equius turned the knob of the door slowly and opened it a crack, when he didn’t see her sleeping in bed he opened the door further to see if she was doing something with headphones in, when he still didn’t see her he panicked and threw the door open, his eyes widening in horror at the picture before him. Chills went up his spine to see her in almost the exact same position she had been in more than six years ago, except this time the man holding her hostage had something far more deadly than a knife. The other man’s dark smirk spread still wider as he took in his rival.

“Hello Zahhak, motherfucking long time no see. Remember all those years ago when you stopped me from taking care of the garbage? Well this time you won’t stop me Zahhak, this time I mean business.”

“Makara, how did you get out of prison so soon? You were on a ten year sentence. It’s only been about six and a half.”

“Good behavior has its perks you know,” he chuckled, “I had them wrapped around my motherfucking fingers in there.”

He gestured airily with his gun toting hand, making Equius flinch and look at Nepeta. She was looking at him desperately, not with a ‘help me’ look but with a ‘get out of here’ one. He shook his head and scowled at her imprisoner, “Makara what do you want with her this time? She hasn’t been in any contact with anyone you may be looking for. She cannot answer your questions. Now then, before I kill you with my bare hands you will release her and leave our home.”

Gamzee threw his head back and roared with laughter, “you? Kill me with your bare hands?” He pointed the gun at Equius, “you seem to forget who has the upper hand here,” he put the gun back against Nepeta’s temple, “make a single move towards us and I shoot her and then you.”

Equius sized up the situation. Nepeta could hardly do anything in the position she was in now. If only she could bite his hand and break his grip on her, she could come over and they could run, but it probably wouldn’t take long for Makara to regain his composer. That idea would get one or both of them shot, and she hardly looked able to run now. He couldn’t dodge a bullet, and he knew the man would shoot to kill. He hoped their only neighbors were home, if he shot one of them they would hear the sound and hopefully call the police.

“Okay Makara, what do you honestly think is going to happen here if you kill us? The gunshots would be heard, the police called. You would only end up right back in prison, for life this time, maybe even death row. What would that get you? What would that do for you?”

Gamzee pulled Nepeta up higher so that she was on her tip toes, “the satisfaction of knowing that I finally did my job. That I finally took this slut out of the world.”

Equius’s teeth ground together when he heard him use such a word to describe Nepeta. His fist balled up without his consent and he felt a nerve in his face twitch, “do not speak of her like that, using such terminology. She is nothing of the sort. Use such words against her again and I will not even give you time to pull the trigger before I have broken your neck.”

“What kind of words hmmm? You mean like calling her a tramp like she is? A little whore that doesn’t deserve to walk the motherfucking earth? Because she is one, and I won’t even give you the time to get over here before I pull this motherfucking trigger.”

Just as Equius lunged towards Gamzee, Nepeta twisted violently, kicking his leg out from under him and causing him to let her go. She pushed him against the dresser and bolted away towards Equius. He grabbed her and pushed her away as Gamzee brought up the gun and shot.

Equius felt a searing pain rip through his thigh just above his knee and he let out a startled cry. Nepeta screamed his name from where she’d landed when he had pushed her, and he slowly sank to the ground, kneeling and staring at the blood welling from the hole in his leg. Gamzee stood up, breathing raggedly as he aimed to shoot again. Nepeta launched herself at him and knocked him over, hitting him again and again until he dropped the gun. She shoved it away and it slid under the bed as he roughly threw her off of himself. He got a single punch in before he heard voices shouting from outside, he tossed her aside and ran out of the room, finding the back door he paused for a moment to say, “This isn’t over yet fuckers. I’ll get you both next time, and don’t think for a second there won’t be a motherfucking next time,” before he slammed out of the door and ran out of sight.

Nepeta crawled over to where Equius was lying in a slowly spreading pool of blood. He was starting to lose consciousness, and she grabbed his hand, “no no no no baby please stay awake please don’t go to sleep don’t do it you might not wake up,” he looked up at her with tired, dark blue eyes.

“I almost didn’t protect you again Nepeta, do I really deserve you if I can’t even keep you safe?” He asked in a whisper, “I don’t know how he always knows when I’m not with you; it almost makes me feel as if this is all my fault for leaving you vulnerable.”

“Oh no, Equi, Equi this isn’t your fault at all!” she looked up to see her neighbor holding a phone to her ear.

“…and an ambulance, somebody was shot here today,” the woman shot into the phone before bending down, “yes quickly he’s losing blood fast!” She slammed the phone shut and looked over at Nepeta, “oh dear lord what happened here? Were you being robbed or something?”

“No not really, it was somebody we knew from high school, he attacked me and then Equi, honey please stay awake,” she stroked his face with the hand that wasn’t holding his, “the ambulance is one its way. And then Equi came home and he shot him.”

“That’s terrifying what are you going to do?” the woman was trying to make a tourniquet out of her scarf to slow the bleeding, in the distance they could hear many sirens coming up the street, “I wouldn’t be able to stay here after that! You two should move far away once you get out of the hospital,” with the tourniquet in place she turned towards Nepeta’s bruises, “he sure did hurt you bad didn’t he? Watch him while I go find some ice for your face, it’s starting to swell,” she stood up and looked out the window when the sound of screeching tires filled their ears, “oh thank god the paramedics are here!”

She ran out of the house, shouting that they were in the back of the building. Moments later two people with a stretcher came racing in. They quickly took Equius up in it and hurried back to the ambulance. Nepeta raced along with them until one of the paramedics stopped her, “I’m sorry ma’am, but there isn’t going to be enough room in there with us trying to patch him up and get some blood back into him. Do you know what blood type he is?”

“B positive, can I at least say goodbye?” Nepeta felt like she was going to cry if they said no.

“Thank you, but please make it quick we need to get both of you to the hospital, can you give her a ride ma’am?” the paramedic walked over to her neighbor and they started to talk. Nepeta moved to the stretcher.

“Equius, can you hear me?” she asked. He turned his head towards her voice but didn’t open his eyes.

“I can hear you,” he whispered almost inaudibly.

“We’re going to the hospital to get you all fixed up okay? We’re going to be okay now you know,” she choked back her tears, “we have to be okay, I have very good news for you later after everything is all said and done alright? Don’t let me forget okay?”

“Yes, I will not let you forget,” he smiled and it almost broke her heart, “I can’t wait to –,” he coughed, and a paramedic ran over and grabbed the stretcher, pushing it to the ambulance and putting him up inside. The one talking to their neighbor ran over and jumped in, slamming the doors behind them as they sped off towards the hospital.

Her neighbor put a hand on her shoulder, “come on sweetie we need to get you over there and have you checked out too. He’ll be alright, he’s a strong man they’ll get the bullet out and stitch him up and he’ll be just dandy.”

Nepeta nodded as she let herself be herded towards a light blue sedan, “I guess you’re right. I think I’ll need an ultrasound; I have to be sure…but yes let’s get going please. Thank you so much for this,” she sat down dazed and pulled on the seat belt robotically, her neighbor getting in behind the wheel.

“It’s nothing darling; now then I think they said they were taking him to St. Mary’s. You sure you’re alright leaving the police here?” the woman pulled out of the driveway slowly, avoiding police cars and officers.

“Yes they’re just doing their job. Let’s please be going now, I don’t want to leave him alone for too long.”

“Alright let’s be on our way.”

The woman pulled away from the scene of the crime and Nepeta closed her eyes, blocking out the world for just a little while.


	5. Chapter 5

Nepeta's neighbor, Edith James, pulled into the parking lot of the hospital and she pulled into a space in front of the main entrance.

"I don't think we'll need to go through the emergency room, we can just come in here I think and get you all checked out and get some information on Equius," she came around and opened Nepeta's door, helping the still shaken girl out of the vehicle. They walked across the blacktop and into the cool shade of the long awning leading up to the door. When they walked in the lady behind the counter did a double take and then picked up her phone.

"Yes…they just walked in. Yes ma'am, she seems to be alright other than a few cuts and bruises…of course I'll have a nurse set her up with a room right away ma'am," the lady put the phone down and smiled warmly up at them, "the police called ahead and left a description for you with us. You'll have a room ready within a few minutes of my next call, please have a seat while I call the nurses' station," the lady picked up her phone and dialed a short number as Edith and Nepeta went and sat down nearby.

"I really hope everything is okay," Nepeta whispered as she stared down at her lap, "it would be devastating if something bad happened to Equius while he was trying to help me again."

"This has happened before?" Edith's wrinkles deepened slightly with her look of surprise, "what happened then?"

"The same man attacked me. Ever since I was a freshman in high school he's hated me for some reason. I think it's because he's fiercely protective of his old best friend, that's why he did it the first time, he thought I was gonna steal away his best friend," Nepeta shuddered at the memory, ghost pains in her chest from the broken ribs, the injured lungs. She blinked as a pair of white shoed feet stopped in front of her; she looked up to find a friendly looking nurse standing above her.

"Ms. Leijon? Or is it Mrs. Zahhak?" the nurse asked, "We were given both names from the police," she explained as the two other women stood up.

"Either is fine, although Equius, Mr. Zahhak, and I are married," Nepeta replied as they started to walk down the hall towards a set of elevators. The nurse pushed the up button and one of them dinged open. The trio stepped in and the nurse selected the 4th floor and the elevator began to rise, "speaking of Equius, do you know how he's doing? He came in an ambulance, probably around 45 minutes ago? He had a – a bullet wound in the leg."

"Oh, that Mr. Zahhak! He's still in surgery, but last report we heard in the nurses' station was that he was going to be fine," the nurse, Jody, smiled at the relieved Nepeta, "he lost a lot of blood but the bullet missed major arteries in his thigh. He might have a little muscle damage, but with a bit of therapy he will pull out of it all splendidly."

Nepeta sighed heavily, kneading her fingers together in thought. She looked up when the elevator chimed and the doors slid open to the 4th floor. The nurse led them down the hall, where they stopped when they got to the nurses' station. The 4th floor head nurse had Edith fill out a small form and handed her a pass with "extended visitor" printed on it in red. She explained that Edith would be able to stay after visiting hours if she wished to, and that she could go into the private café to purchase food and beverages if needed. Their guide was handed a slip of paper with Nepeta's name on it and the room number. They turned back towards the elevators, passing them and turning around a corner into a quieter hall. They walked to the end of it, and the nurse turned into the corner room after putting the paper in a clear holder on the wall beside the door.

The nurse handed Nepeta a set of hospital pajamas, "if you'll just put these on, we can get you in to be checked out soon," she turned to Edith, "ma'am when she goes to get her tests done you can wait in here, there's the remote to the television, just keep it down, or you can go to the café which is on the 5th floor," she nodded to the two women and walked out into the hall.

"I'll just go put these on in the restroom," Nepeta murmured as she made her way into it. There was no way they're insurance would cover all of this, and how had she gotten into a private room? She wondered if Equius's father had already heard about this and was pulling the strings. He was the owner and CEO of a major robotics and prosthetics company that made some of the best products on the market. He'd wanted his son to take over the business, and although he did love robotics as much as his dad he'd wanted to learn what it was like to work as a normal person. He'd wanted to settle down in a little house and have a quiet life making his own way in the world. Their lives were simple, but they were happy. He did plan on someday taking over his father's work, and they would inherit the fortune and the property, but for now he loved his humble home he had made for himself and his family. She gingerly changed her clothing and sat down on her hospital bed.

"You know, Edith, you don't have to stay I'll be just fine on my own."

"Don't be silly child I'm not about to leave you alone after such a traumatic incident. Don't worry about a thing it isn't like I have anything better to do anyways, and I think you are pretty good company even after today's events. You are a very strong girl," Edith's gently lined face broke into a smile and she wrapped her shawl around her shoulders, "although it is rather cold in this institution. I can't imagine how the cold would be good for the sick and injured but that's the newfangled government for you, always butting in where they shouldn't."

This sudden speech made the younger girl laugh, "I don't think the government has anything to do with the building temperature. I think they keep it this cold to prevent germs from spreading or something like that."

"I would imagine these germs would be stopped from spreading with all these state of the art cleaners and medicines they have nowadays. They ought to have separate thermostats for each room or something with all that technology they have for that too."

"Well that would cost a lot of money you know," Nepeta looked up at the door when a knock resounded through the room. Their guide poked her head into the door and motioned that it was time for her tests, "I'll be back soon; if you want to go home and get anything you're more than welcome to anytime."

"I think I'll take you up on that offer sweetheart, these old bones don't take kindly to the cold. That's why Mr. James and I moved out here to the desert in the first place. Is there anything you want me to get you anything from your home?"

Nepeta's mind flashed the images of blood and she shook her head quickly, "no I'll be fine with what I have. Besides, the police are probably not done yet," she waved at the older woman as she made her way towards the elevators, following her guide nurse to the 6th floor into an examining room. She only had to wait a few minutes before a doctor came in.

"Ms. Leijon, or is it Mrs. Zahhak?" the older man asked as he checked his charts, "ah I see, Mrs. Zahhak, let's go with that. Now then let me see," he read the case and looked over at her with a frown, "let's just check to make sure there aren't any broken bones or any concussions okay?"

He checked in her eyes and ran his hands over her arms and legs, feeling for anything abnormal. When he didn't find anything besides some large bruises he heaved a sigh of relief, "I heard about what happened before, we had the files faxed over here. Five broken ribs, a fractured tibia, a concussion, and a punctured lung I'm amazed you survived such an attack. Now it happens again? I hope the man responsible goes to the worst prison ever for a very long time. Now then, before we do any x-rays we should probably do an ultrasound of your abdomen."

She perked up at this, "yes I think that would be a very good idea," they both turned to the door when a nurse peeked in and smiled when she spotted her.

"Ah, we have good news! Mr. Zahhak will be just fine. We got the bullet out, he's still in recovery but he will be moved to a room soon and you will be able to go see him before the evening, even if he might not wake up from the anesthesia until tomorrow morning at the earliest."

Nepeta smiled so widely it hurt the bruises on her face, "that's absolutely amazing news thank you so, so much!"

"Now then let's get you into a room for the ultrasound," the doctor murmured with his own smile, "we just have to be sure everything is alright, and then we can do some x-rays."

…

Nepeta sat silently in her hospital room, thinking about what had happened. Edith was still at home, so she was alone for the most part. She stared out the window and watched the sun slowly set. She had been to see Equius, and aside from being a little pale from blood loss, a thing that had been righted by the IV drips beside his bed, he had been alright. She was thinking about how they were going to need a bigger house, and a lot of other rather important things. She smiled at the small picture in her hand when she heard a knock at her door.

"Come in," she called, thinking it was just another nurse or Edith coming in for something. She was surprised at who it actually was.

"Long time no see I know. I started driving out here the minute I heard about this happening again," her visitor came over to the side of her bed and cupped her unbruised cheek in her hand, "this shakes me to my very core Nep, I'm so sorry about all of this happening again."

"Aradia it isn't even your fault! You drove all the way from our home town to see us? You didn't have to do that at all," Nepeta looked up at her old friend, her eyes tearing up, "you can't very well control things that are happening so far away from you, you should be home right now not apologizing to me."

Aradia sat down and smoothed her long skirt out, "I just feel like I could have done something. All of us do. I called everybody when I heard. I know that a few of the others are coming out here to visit as soon as they can get time off of work or school. I could just have a sub for my classes so it was no big deal to get out here quickly."

"Who else is coming?! You guys don't have to go through all this trouble."

"This is a really unfortunate reason for a reunion but I think it's a good time as any. It will surprise Equius when he wakes up and finds a bunch of us girls here won't it?"

Nepeta giggled, "of course it will! I think it will be nice you know. It will cheer him up; hopefully take his mind off things so he doesn't feel down. But really Ari who else is coming out here?"

"Let's see I called seriously everybody from out circle of people. Jake and Dirk live in LA, so they'll be on their way shortly. Who else lives close? I think…you know I don't remember. But I do know that within the week the whole gang will be here so we can all have a party, you know, a get well party!"

"Speaking of reasons to celebrate, I have some pretty good news to tell you!"

"Oh? What is it Nep?"

Nepeta gestured for her to lean close and she whispered the news into her ear. Aradia's eyes widened and she got a huge grin on her face, "No way really that's so cool! I'm going to cry because that's so amazing!"

"Yeah it really is. I can't wait to tell everybody!"


	6. Chapter 6

Everybody actually turned out to be almost all of her old friends from high school. Dirk and Jake had been the first to arrive after Aradia from LA; Sollux had taken a plane from his home with Aradia. She'd gotten a phone call from Vriska saying that she and John were on their way from the mid-west. Rose and Kanaya got a hold of her to let her know they were on the Amtrak's Coast Starlight from San Francisco and that they'd be there sometime that night. Nepeta smiled to herself as her room filled up with her old friends. Dave wandered in at some point from Texas, followed by Jane and then Roxy, who was fresh out of her second year in AA. She grinned, and Jane held up a large basket of cupcakes and other baked goods for her and Equius.

Nepeta had talked to the police early that morning to build up the case, giving them a description of her attacker and as much information as she could. Aradia had come back with smuggled IHOP pancakes and syrup for her to eat. A nurse had let her know that she would be able to see Equius that night, which made her extremely happy. She thought about what they were going to do about their home. They couldn't very well stay in their house now that he knew where they were. She wondered what other places would be as nice and peaceful to live in. She thought about asking some of her friends where they would think was a nice place, and she figured half of them would say right next door to themselves.

Aradia had already mentioned that there was a sizable apartment in their complex they could move into.

"Yeah but I don't really want to move all the way across the country, not with his injury. I don't really know what we're going to do but I don't really think moving that far is necessary," Nepeta explained as she picked at her pancakes, "I'll have to ask him when he wakes up I guess."

Aradia nodded thoughtfully, "well it almost seems like it isn't safe to stay in the state, or even on the west coast. There are a lot of people that would be willing to arrange for your moving near them I'm sure, so even if you don't want to come live with us on the east coast there are still lots of choices as to where you can go."

"I know, and it makes me very happy that I still have friends that care about me so much still after all these years. I'm just sad that a reunion has to happen from something so scary. It's just like last time. Everybody came to see us while we healed and even before I woke up. I sure do love you guys."

There was a knock at the door and then Feferi poked her head through the door, "Hey girls I hope I'm not too late to the party," she skipped into the room, bubbly as ever with a huge basket of goodies, "if I remember correctly you really liked stuff like this," she handed the basket off to Nepeta with a grin and sat on the edge of her bed.

"Wow Fef I haven't had stuff like this since high school! Equius and I don't normally do extravagant things like this wow," Nepeta beamed at the amazing array of chocolates and bath stuff in the basket, "I hope you aren't too tired from the flight or anything."

Feferi waved a dismissive hand and giggled, "I'm perfectly fine! Eridan's the one that fell right to sleep the minute we hit the hotel room! He's never been one for flying I think."

Aradia turned to Nepeta, "so when are you going to tell Equius the good news?"

"As soon as I'm able to, I haven't been told that he's ok to visit yet, so I'm waiting until then."

There was a knock at the door. Nepeta assumed it was probably another friend or a nurse coming in to check her charts. When the door opened and a friendly, excited face popped in she cocked an eyebrow at the woman. She smiled, "Equius is out of recovery now. If you like we can take you to see him, but only her sorry ladies."

Aradia and Feferi stood up, "that's quite alright ma'am, we'll use this time to go and grab a coffee and some lunch," Feferi chirped cheerfully.

"That sounds delightful! Would you like us to bring you anything back Nep?" Aradia smiled as the smaller girl scrambled out of her bed, "do you want a cocoa or a tea or something?"

"That would be nice guys, thanks," Nepeta, now completely untangled from her sheets stood up and hugged them both, "thanks for coming in, I'll see you in a little bit."

"Are you going to tell him right now?"

Nepeta shrugged as she picked up the little black and white photograph, "I guess now's as good a time as any. Maybe it will cheer him up a little."

"Just seeing you ought to cheer him up, he's been through a lot but he'll always come through because he's so strong," with that Aradia mimicked a body builder's stance, Feferi laughing quietly under her hand. She grabbed the other girl and drug her out of the room, "c'mon she wants to go see him and we're holding her up. I really do want that coffee."

They waved again once as they headed down the hallway, Feferi going around the corner first and Aradia stopping to turn and give her thumbs up. Nepeta smiled and waved back at them and then turned to the nurse, "shall we then?"

The nurse nodded as she directed her the other way down the hall, "he's healing surprisingly well. There's no sign of any infection or inflammation anywhere. We were concerned for the longest time that there would be, with the extent of the damage done by the bullet but he's a fighter. We moved him to his own room from the recovery unit just this morning, and he's been awake for a few hours. We just wanted to make totally sure he was able to be visited before we let you know, so he wouldn't just fall right to sleep from medications while you were there. We hope that all of your friends can visit too, because he needs contact, you know what I mean?"

Nepeta nodded, "I was thinking the same thing. Laughter is the best medicine."

The nurse laughed as they rounded a corner, "that's the truth. That man is very brave, taking a bullet! I don't know anyone that would do that, it's almost like it's from a story book. It's like an old fashioned love story oh, it's too lovely. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to make it sound like I thought any of this was romantic."

"It's ok; I understand what you mean entirely. Things like this just don't happen in real life. They should never happen in real life. Although I totally know what you mean."

They stopped in front of a door just like her own. The nurse smiled and knocked on the door, and an endearingly familiar voice gave them permission to enter. The nurse cracked it open with a smile, "there's someone here to see you, sir," before opening it with a flourish and letting Nepeta walk in with tears in her eyes. The nurse shut the door, leaving them alone.

"Come here, don't cry, I am really quite alright," Equius gave her a tired, lopsided smile and took her hand in his when she came close enough, "I've missed you."

"You've been asleep, how could you have possibly missed me?"

"I miss you every second you are not with me. It's like I am missing a limb," he chuckled, "or like being shot in one. I can feel the aloneness and it's almost painful."

Her eyes watered again, "I missed you too, and I've been awake to feel it. Our old friends have come to see us, so when you're able to everyone wants to see you too. I've been spending my days with Aradia; she got here soon after we did. I'm amazed at how amazing she is," she pulled the chair over to the side of his bed and sat down, "I guess Sollux will be here soon, and Feferi and Eridan got here today. Dirk and Jake are going to come up at some point! She called everyone I guess, and those that can are going to come and visit. There are some serious things to discuss you know."

"Serious things such as?"

"Where we're going to live after this, we can't keep living in the house Equius, that's only asking for more trouble. I've gotten a couple of offers already, but I'm not going to take them seriously until everybody is here and you're there to think about it too."

Equius looked down at his hands as he thought. They had only had the house for a year; they weren't buying it luckily, so it wouldn't put them in debt to move away. He turned his dark indigo eyes to her battered face and sighed, "It makes me very angry that we have to move so soon. I know you love that house Nepeta, we've only just begun to make it our own and then this happens. Let him come back, I'll take him out before he has a chance to do anymore harm."

"No Equius, we're going to move. I don't know how he found us, but like Aradia said it could be unsafe to even live on the west coast. I'm worried Equius."

"Don't be, I will never let the man harm you again. What he's done already is too much; I can't let this happen again. If moving is what it takes I will be glad to."

Nepeta smiled and squeezed his hand, "I have good news though, do you want to hear it?"

"Of course, please tell me what it is."

She handed him the picture and waiting quietly as he stared at it. He pointed at it, ran his finger over it, and then looked at her, "is this what I think it is?"

She nodded and smiled, "we have more than just ourselves to worry about. We also need to get a bigger house anyways, kill two birds with one stone if we just move away now."

He stared at her speechlessly, looking back at the photograph again, "are you totally sure here?"

She laughed at him and shook her head, "it's right there in front of you silly! It can't be any clearer than that!"

"Oh, but it is still very unexpected that's all," his crooked, nervous smile widened, "this is really the best news. I'm very excited and sort of anxious at the same time."

"You'll be fine. We'll both be fine don't worry about it. Relax before you soak your sheets please. I don't want them having to move you to change them," she stood up and gave him a hug, "you'll be better than fine, you'll be amazing and I know it."

"I'm glad you believe that to be true, but it does not ease my nerves that much. I know you'll be great too."


	7. Chapter 7

After two days everybody that was going to come had shown up. Aradia and Sollux, Feferi and Eridan, Dave, Jane, Roxy, Dirk and Jake, Rose and Kanaya, and last but not least John and Vriska all straggled in slowly as time passed. They came to visit a few at a time, and as the date of Nepeta's release drew nearer they began to plan for where the couple would stay while they figured out where they would move to.

Nepeta sat in the center of a circle of girls, all of which were gushing over how excited they were for her, and also how worried they were as well. Vriska seemed the calmest, lounging in a chair next to the bed only piping up when she needed to, and Feferi was the most animated; speaking out loudly and often. The rest of the girls ranged from quiet to loud, and Nepeta had to constantly be reminding them that they were in a hospital.

When the day came for Nepeta's release from the hospital Aradia helped her pack up the small bag of things she had gotten from her neighbor.

"So you told him didn't you?" Aradia put the bag over her shoulder and watched as the other girl looked around the room one last time, "was he excited?"

"Well yeah I mean who wouldn't be excited. We talked about it for a long time, I know we weren't exactly ready for an, ah, addition to the family but it will be nice. This gives me something to look forward to now, since we have to move we might buy a house so I can decorate the room accordingly," Nepeta smiled happily as she signed the discharge papers at the nurses' center. The two girls walked the other direction from the elevators though, because they were heading over to see Equius. Nepeta had been going over to see him regularly, and he had been doing well, so he would be released from the hospital soon as well.

They peeked in, but it looked like he was sleeping, a nurse was checking his charts and she smiled at them, telling them that he had been in a bit of pain so the doctor had given him a sedative. Nepeta smiled softly and shut the door, and the two headed away to the elevator.

"Well that was a shame I wanted to say hello to the guy," Aradia stretched up and looked over at Nepeta, "as long as he's getting better though we can soon have him to baby and stuff. Now then, I arranged for a small, pre-furnished house in the next town over for you two, but that won't be used until he gets out of here. For now you'll be staying with me and Feferi."

"You guys have the extra space at the hotel? Are you totally sure about this?"

"Well of course! If I wasn't I wouldn't have offered silly. Where else are you going to go though? It isn't like you can go home yet right?"

Nepeta thought about her home. Last time she had seen it there was blood everywhere. She shut her eyes and wiped them with her sleeve before looking up at Aradia, "yeah I wouldn't want to go back anyways. Maybe only to pack, but I don't want to live there anymore."

"No one can blame you! After something like that I wouldn't be able to stay in the same house, let alone the same city. Until he's caught again I want you both to live close to somebody else understand? Even if you had to move to the Mid-West with Vriska and John I don't care I just don't want you living around here understand?"

"Of course I understand," Nepeta hung her head sadly, "we had a good life here. Equius was loving his job and I really loved that house. We really made it our own, but I guess leaving it and actually buying one will be better. We can do more with it!"

Aradia put her arm around the other girl's shoulders as the doors of the elevator opened and they walked out, "that's the spirit sweetie, that's the spirit."

They made their way safely to the hotel where they met up with the rest of the group. From there they all went to a small diner where they all sat in a U-shaped booth.

"It's nice to all be back together again like this, even if it is under such dire circumstances," Jane smiled cheerfully as she surveyed the group that was all there. Her, Roxy, Jake, and Dirk all sat together again for the first time since they had all graduated and it felt nice to be back again. Aradia sat in between Sollux and Feferi with Eridan beside her, Dave sat next to John and Vriska, and Nepeta had ended up in between Rose and Kanaya. All of them seemed cheery, despite the heavy theme of the visit. Nepeta didn't want them to get down trodden with emotion so she kept herself as upbeat as she could.

"It really is wonderful! It feels like freshman year all over again," she blinked and cursed herself for her words, for a silence had fallen over the table as everyone was reminded of the first time this had happened. She shook her head and grinned, "remember that time we all went to that all-you-can-eat pizza buffet and got kicked out because you boys got into an eating contest?"

Dirk let out a bark of laughter, "oh yes I remember that. We ate so many pizzas they almost made us pay for another meal didn't they? That time right Jake?"

Jake nodded, his bucked teeth that ran in the Egbert/Crocker/English family showing through his grin, "yes that time. We also almost got kicked out because you and Dave thought it would be a great idea to start a food fight in the kid's zone."

Dave shook his head at the memory, "yeah Egbert and I hid in the playground thing and bombed you with cheese pizza bits. He got in trouble when he hit Vriska though so yeah," he cocked an eyebrow at the couple in question, "didn't seem to scare her off any."

Vriska ran her hand through her long dark hair, "it would have taken a lot more than cheese pizza to get me to stop loving this nerd and his silly pranks and his crappy movies," she put her head on his shoulder and let out a sigh as he blushed clear to his roots.

"Well thanks I guess, for the half compliment."

"Any time dear."

Everyone chuckled and the waitress came and took their orders. Feferi was looking at everybody and she turned to Dave, "where's Jade?"

Both John and Dave perked up at her question, "she's travelling across the south pacific studying flora and fauna for her degree," John supplied, "yeah she was going to try to break from it to come but I don't know if she'll be able to," Dave shrugged coolly, "she was just visiting me in Texas a few months ago."

"So she'll go and visit her boyfriend but she won't come visit her brother? How rude of her," John teased.

"Fiancé, actually."

"WHAT?"

"Well what did you expect John? We've been together for a long time, you married Vriska already so come on it was only bound to happen sometime," Dave shrugged again as John sputtered in disbelief.

"Well I just can't imagine a cool guy like you getting tied down by marriage that's all," John shrugged, trying to look nonchalant, "she's my big sister but it still weirds me out to think she's marrying my best bro."

"Big sister by about ten minutes John, chill out."

"You know what us girls need to do? We need to have a shopping trip for Nepeta," Feferi's eyes glittered viciously as she smiled at the smaller woman, "all of us, shopping for new things for your new family!"

Aradia nodded excitedly, "this is a good idea! I mean, I hear Nep isn't the only one up and coming," she turned her gaze on Vriska and the girl in question scratched her head shyly.

"Well yeah but we don't have to worry about me here," she muttered with a scowl.

Jake slammed his fist into the table and almost jumped up, "we men will also shop! But for manly things! Like build it yourself furniture and other manly things like that!"

Dirk patted his arm and gave him a little look, "calm down bro we got you. Don't go crazy on us now."

"That's a really good idea Jake. Thank you for thinking about Equius like this. You guys have been so good to us this whole time I'm really happy to have good friends like you," Nepeta looked to all the smiling faces around her, "you guys are wonderful."


End file.
